Huey Freeman's Guide to Dating

Chapter Two: Whatever You Want

Step Two:

Do what you want.
Spend an entire day doing things that you like to do, preferably things you did as a child.
Become one with yourself again.

Huey's second date with Crystallin would go down in history as the worst night of his life.

"Boy, hold on!" His granddad called after him. "What do you mean you aren't seeing that girl ever again? I thought you two hit it off?"

"I thought so too." Huey sank into the couch and covered his face with his hands. "For the first time in my life, I was wrong."

"But I already called your auntie!" His granddad held up his phone. There was a group chat on the display, full of contact names like Gertrude and Barbara. "She and her prayer warrior friends are asking God to keep you two together forever. They are in the midst of an intense, soul-binding prayer as we speak, boy! Do you want to disappoint God, Huey?!"

"Why would you do that?" Huey shook his head at him, lifting from the couch. "Besides, I don't even believe in God." Huey rolled his eyes. "It wasn't gonna work, anyway. She's crazy. She was not acting like that last weekend."

Robert followed his grandson to the kitchen. "What was wrong with the little girl? You sure you aren't being your uppity self again? You know how you get."

"I won't deny that I can be a little...particular, but she spent a half hour praying over the appetizers." Huey walked over to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. "Then she prayed again for another half hour, got emotional because the waitress told us she was working to pay for school, and prayed for them for fifteen more minutes. When we got back in the car, she said my playlist was not of God-"

"Hallejuah! She sho' ain't lying!" Granddad raised his hands. "Did she happen to pray for you too?"

"Actually, yes." Huey could feel his blood boil again at the thought of Crystallin reaching over to lay her prayer cloth covered hands on him. "She did. Said she wanted me to go to church, release the anger in my heart about oppression and inequality, and find peace, because in her words, we are all equal in the eyes of God. We're all going to the same heaven."

"So what's the problem?" Granddad shrugged. "I've been telling you that all your life. Sounds like she's the perfect young lady for you. You should give her another chance. Seems like she cares about you and your salvation."

"You don't actually believe in that sorta stuff, for one. You're a professional hypocrite, Granddad." Huey sat back down and placed his head on the armrest of the couch. "Anyways, I told her I wasn't too sure about God, and that I had some questions for him about the world we live in. I also explained that I was more into spirituality. So, she started speaking in tongues and rebuked me."

"Lord whyyyyy?" Granddad got on his knees and held his head to the sky. "Please bring her back to this boy. He needs her. He needs her to bring him to you, Lord!"

"Maybe you can get Riley to date her." Huey was amused at the thought. "He needs way more prayer than I do."

"Now you know that boy is crazy about Shanice!" Granddad liked Riley's girlfriend better than he liked either one of them. If they broke up, he'd probably be even more devastated than Riley. "Now go call the little woman of God back. Hell, maybe she can pray that you'll cut all that hair off your head."

"Goodnight, Granddad." Huey stood to his feet and walked to his bedroom.

Once he flopped onto his bed, he sent a text to Jazmine: You'd better be back at school next week. No more hiding. We don't need a repeat of the year long absence from 9/11.

He wasn't surprised when she quickly responded: Lol. U so crazy! U must miss me.

Huey just shook his head. He didn't miss her, not much anyway. It was just time for her to get with the program and come outta hiding.

That way, he could make sure she wouldn't do anything stupid.
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Jazmine hadn't been this excited in a long time.

"You look nice, honey." Her dad remarked. "Where are you off to?"

"There's a ballet showcase downtown." Jazmine twirled around in her baby blue peacoat and high heeled boots. "I was hoping I could borrow Mom's car for the day."

Her father stared at her for a moment before shrugging and tossing her the keys. "Be back by curfew."

"Thanks, Daddy." Jazmine kissed him on the cheek before rushing out into the garage. "Love you!"

She slid into the car and smiled at its state-of-the art stereo system. Just as she backed out of the driveway, she heard the chorus of a familiar throwback from way back when. Jazmine squealed and turned it up.

Singing with Mariah Carey was the perfect way to proceed with step two in in Huey's book, especially when the person that reminded her of her childhood was also one of the greatest singers of all time.

The woman had so many hits. Plus, she'd starred in one of her favorite movies ever, Glitter.

"Boyyyyyy ya love's sooooo good, I don't want to let gooooo!" Jazmine sang her heart out right along with Mariah, placing her free hand on her chest. "And although I shooulldd, I can't leave you aloooneeee, cause you're so disarming, I'm caught up in the midst of you, and I can notttt resistttt, and ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

She bopped her head to the lyrics, resisting the urge to belt out the rest when she noticed a few of her classmates on the main road, examining the loud car blasting music in the middle of the road. Once she made a right turn onto the freeway, she turned the music up some more, becoming Jay-Z's hype man.

'She want to drive my Benz with five of her friends'

"Yup!" Jazmine laughed, doing a shimmy in her seat as she ad-libbed along.

'She want to creep past the block spyin' again'

"And do!" Jazmine pointed back in response to the lyrics.

'She want to roll with Jay, chase the skeeos away'

"Whassup, baby boy? I can be yo' Yonce!" Jazmine rapped back.

'If she find a strand of hair longer than hers'

"Then nigga, you lying, I ain't got no perm!" She burst out laughing again, only stopping when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

She hadn't seen herself glow like that in forever.

She'd honestly forgotten that she could.
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